Further to my last post about Mary Portas and FoneHouse, the following passage can be found on the FoneHouse website:
"At Fonehouse we are always looking to improve ourselves as a business, as a result we recently have been looking into redeveloping our in store customer experience and brand as a whole. That's why when leading consultant and television personality Mary Portas asked if she could work with us on this, we jumped at the opportunity.
Thanks to our combined efforts we have created a superior customer experience that culminates in our newly refurbished store in Angel, London (IsIington). The design incorporates the new brand, the Fonehouse values of a relaxed 'homely' atmosphere with impeccable customer service and even includes TV screens with live interactive content. With the concept due to be rolled out across the Fonehouse retail estate of 50 stores there has never been a better time to join the Partner Programme. If you want to become a Fonehouse Franchise Partner then complete the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible."
http://www.fonehouse.co.uk/MaryPortasSecretShopper/
It is now becoming increasingly acknowledged that digital signage can and does enhance the retail shopping experience.
Approximately 60% of buying decisions are made in-store. Carefully placed, compelling and engaging sales and marketing messages, delivered in a dynamic way, can have a very strong influence on what shoppers place in their baskets.
An accepted rule of thumb indicates that a minimum 15% boost can be achieved by placing promoted items on a marketing screen.
These statistics show convincingly that the use of strategically positioned screens should be ignored at the retailers' peril. The returns generated by a well-conceived network of sales and marketing screens cancel out the costs and increases revenue.
For further details on the screen systems available through Argent Ram Media, please contact Lorraine Baker on 01580 761000 or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com.
Monday 14 February 2011
Thursday 3 February 2011
The Proof is in the Pudding...
Did any of you watch Mary Portas: Secret Shopper (Channel 4) on Wednesday 2nd February?
In this episode, Mary took on the High Street mobile phone outlets, those typically male bastions that revolve around the hard-sell and the up-sell.
"Secret cameras reveal them to be one of the least user-friendly retail environments on the high street. Staff bombard you with technical information that has little to do with finding the right phone for you - and you can't even try before you buy."
Mary's sights were set on FoneHouse, a largely-franchised business that has some fairly ambitious growth plans, but follows the pack when it comes to the trading style of its stores and the service offered by its staff.
By changing the interiors of stores to make them far more welcoming, encouraging dwell time and a far greater level of helpful customer service, Mary aimed to prove that FoneHouse could lead the way in which mobile phone stores treat their customers. Taking the Angel, Islington branch as the test site, the turnaround in perceived customer satisfaction levels were so great that the CEO of FoneHouse had no hesitation in deciding to roll out the new store designs to all new branches, and then re-design existing branches.
If you saw the program, you will have noticed that one feature that was very evident in the new design was the use of digital signage.
On the walls of the store, instead of racks of accessories in bubble packs, there were screens that displayed product information, deals and special offers. The use of these screens provides subliminal direct response sales opportunities without being perceived as the hard-sell. Staff are on hand to answer queries whilst customers are free to test real products, not replicas attached to the walls by a piece of string.
The whole premise behind the redesign is to make customers feel valued, provide them with information that is relevant to them and allow staff the time to listen to what the customers want and then advise them accordingly - the essence of great customer service.
Digital marketing screens are playing an increasingly important role in this approach, as it allows companies to get their core marketing messages across in a non-techy, user-friendly and informative way, furniching customers with the right information for them to make the right choice.
At FoneHouse, Mary carried out a quick customer survey and when asked if FoneHouse would be their brand of choice prior to the redesign, 80% of customers said "No". After the refit, 97% said "Yes".
As a result of the refit, the Islington branch reported that new contracts and upgrades increased by a third.
The overall response was that the new style was welcoming, relaxed and provided a great environment.
What effect could a digital marketing screen have on your business?
To view this episode of Mary Portas: Secret Shopper, click here:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/mary-portas-secret-shopper/4od#3158376
For information on digital marketing screens, please contact Argent Ram Media on 0845 009 5396, or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com
In this episode, Mary took on the High Street mobile phone outlets, those typically male bastions that revolve around the hard-sell and the up-sell.
"Secret cameras reveal them to be one of the least user-friendly retail environments on the high street. Staff bombard you with technical information that has little to do with finding the right phone for you - and you can't even try before you buy."
Mary's sights were set on FoneHouse, a largely-franchised business that has some fairly ambitious growth plans, but follows the pack when it comes to the trading style of its stores and the service offered by its staff.
By changing the interiors of stores to make them far more welcoming, encouraging dwell time and a far greater level of helpful customer service, Mary aimed to prove that FoneHouse could lead the way in which mobile phone stores treat their customers. Taking the Angel, Islington branch as the test site, the turnaround in perceived customer satisfaction levels were so great that the CEO of FoneHouse had no hesitation in deciding to roll out the new store designs to all new branches, and then re-design existing branches.
If you saw the program, you will have noticed that one feature that was very evident in the new design was the use of digital signage.
On the walls of the store, instead of racks of accessories in bubble packs, there were screens that displayed product information, deals and special offers. The use of these screens provides subliminal direct response sales opportunities without being perceived as the hard-sell. Staff are on hand to answer queries whilst customers are free to test real products, not replicas attached to the walls by a piece of string.
Old Layout
Redesign, showing the use of digital screens
The whole premise behind the redesign is to make customers feel valued, provide them with information that is relevant to them and allow staff the time to listen to what the customers want and then advise them accordingly - the essence of great customer service.
Digital marketing screens are playing an increasingly important role in this approach, as it allows companies to get their core marketing messages across in a non-techy, user-friendly and informative way, furniching customers with the right information for them to make the right choice.
At FoneHouse, Mary carried out a quick customer survey and when asked if FoneHouse would be their brand of choice prior to the redesign, 80% of customers said "No". After the refit, 97% said "Yes".
As a result of the refit, the Islington branch reported that new contracts and upgrades increased by a third.
The overall response was that the new style was welcoming, relaxed and provided a great environment.
What effect could a digital marketing screen have on your business?
To view this episode of Mary Portas: Secret Shopper, click here:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/mary-portas-secret-shopper/4od#3158376
For information on digital marketing screens, please contact Argent Ram Media on 0845 009 5396, or email lorraine@argentrammedia.com
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